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NewFilmmakers Los Angeles has released the nominees and jury for its 14th annual awards that recognize the top rising talent in independent film globally.

The awards will recognize 130 nominees spanning 16 award categories, encompassing directors, writers, producers, performers, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, and composers. These outstanding nominees were chosen from Nfmla’s most recent programming year, which took place in 2024 and reflect some of the most promising emerging independent filmmakers globally. The selection includes projects from Nfmla’s InFocus initiative, which highlights stories and filmmakers who are often not adequately represented in mainstream media.

“We are proud to support and uplift the work of such a talented cohort of filmmakers whose work deserves to be widely seen and acknowledged and to be part of their journey,” says Nfmla p programming director Bojana Sandic.

The jury for the 2025 Best of Nfmla Awards is composed of industry professionals, including Alvie Hurtado at Will Packer Productions,...

Diane Foster’s feature directorial debut Easter Bloody Easter is out now on Cable VOD and Digital HD including Apple TV and to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK from Tmp and USA from Gravitas Ventures. Easter Bloody Easter will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in the USA on 2nd April 2024 from Gravitas Ventures. The ensemble cast features Diane Foster, Kelly Grant, Allison Lobel, Zuri Starks, D’Andre Noiré, Zachary Kanner, Miles Cooper and Gavin Lee. Easter Bloody Easter is written by Allison Lobel, produced by Diane Foster, Allison Lobel, Kelly Grant, Mitch Olson, Liana Montemayor, Rafi Jacobs, and Will Amato. The iconic demon bunnies were created by Jesse Velez of Raptor House FX, who are known for creating the infamous “Hand”.

Synopsis:

When a bloodthirsty Jackalope starts a fluffy murder-spree at Easter time, a Texas housewife fights to the death to save her husband and discover...

Directed by Diane Foster, Easter Bloody Easter is now available on Cable VOD and Digital HD from Gravitas Ventures, and we have an exclusive clip you can watch right now!

"When a bloodthirsty Jackalope starts a fluffy murder-spree at Easter time, a Texas housewife fights to the death to save her husband and discover the creature’s true identity before her town is destroyed forever."

Easter Bloody Easter stars Diane Foster, Kelly Grant, Allison Lobel, Zuri Starks, D'Andre Noiré, Zachary Kanner, Miles Cooper and Gavin Lee. It was written by Allison Lobel and produced by Diane Foster, Allison Lobel, Kelly Grant, Mitch Olson, Liana Montemayor, Rafi Jacobs, and Will Amato. The iconic demon bunnies were created by Jesse Velez of Raptor House FX, who are known for creating "Thing" from Wednesday.

The post Watch an Exclusive Clip from Easter Bloody Easter appeared first on Daily Dead.

Watch the Trailer for Alice Maio Mackay's T-blockers: "In small-town Australia, a nightmare is brewing. Sophie is a young filmmaker obsessed with finding a thought-to-be long-lost film. Meanwhile, an earthquake unleashes ancient parasites in the area that thrive on hatred, causing outbursts of violence. Now Sophie and her friends, struggling with dating and their undesirable jobs, must also face off against an ancient evil that spreads like wildfire."

Starring: Lauren Last, Lewi Dawson, Joe Romeo, Chris Asimos, Joni Ayton-Kent, Stanley Browning, Lisa Fanto Director: Alice Maio Mackay Writers: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson Release Date: March 5, 2024 from Dark Star Pictures

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Birdeater: "A bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare."

Directed by: Jack Clark,...

Holiday-themed horror outing to be introduced at American Film Market.

Motion Picture Exchange (Mpx) has acquired worldwide sales rights to Easter Bloody Easter from producer WallyBird Productions.

Los Angeles-based Mpx will start selling the completed horror feature at next month’s American Film Market.

WallyBird head Diane Foster directed the film, written by Allison Lobel. Foster also stars as a woman who must protect her small town from the Jackalope (based on the mythical antelope-horned jackrabbit of North American folklore) and his army of devilish bunnies as they embark on a murder spree over the Easter weekend. Featuring in the cast alongside Foster are Lobel,...

Exclusive: Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) and Samantha Isler (Molly’s Game) are set to lead the Christmas-themed dramedy Breakup Season, marking the feature debut of writer-director H. Nelson Tracey.

The indie going into production this month in La Grande, Oregon follows a young man (Riggs) as he brings his girlfriend (Isler) back to his rural Oregon hometown to meet his family for the first time, over the course of the holidays. The introduction doesn’t go as planned.

Pic also stars James Urbaniak (The Fabelmans), Jacob Wysocki (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising), Brook Hogan, Carly Stewart, and Kailey Rhodes. Stephen Mastrocola, Rafi Jacobs, and Liana Montemayor of the L.A.-based Static Films will produce alongside Tracey. Also producing is Christopher Jennings, co-founder of the Eastern Oregon Film Festival, whose residency program is where the script was developed.

“I first visited La Grande, Oregon in the fall of 2019 for the annual Eastern Oregon Film Festival,...

Michael Madsen, Rob Morrow and Jay Mohr have joined the cast of the indie drama feature Max Dagan from writer-director Terre Weisman. It follows Max Dagan (Zachary Gordon) as he works to earn his dying father a compassionate release from prison. In desperation, Max seeks the help of Alaina (newcomer Lindsey Dresbach), the daughter of the man his father killed.

Kirk Fox, Jeffrey Ross, Rob Brownstein, Lisa Roumain, Jacob Wysocki, and Eugenia Kuzmina round out the cast.

“Attracting such talented actors with this script, adapted from my novel, is a testament to this original story that has been over a decade in the making.” said Weisman. “I’m truly honored to collaborate with this incredible cast.

The producers are Terre and Mitch Weisman of Creative Balance Films; Rafi Jacobs, Stephen Mastrocola and Liana Montemayor, under their newly formed banner Static Films; and Barry Katz through Barry Katz Entertainment.

Cameras began...

Exclusive: Roswell, New Mexico star Michael Vlamis is preparing to make his feature directorial debut with Crossword, a psychological thriller in which he’ll star alongside Aurora Perrineau (When They See Us), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Nick Thune (Love Life), Sarah Ramos (Winning Time), Karan Oberoi (Counterpart), Andoni Gracia (Warner. Bros’ upcoming The Flash) and Spencer Waldner (5 Years Apart).

The indie heading into production this spring centers on James (Vlamis) and Tessa (Perrineau), a young married couple coping with the loss of their daughter. While Tessa trudges forward focused on her bestselling children’s book series inspired by their daughter, James tries to find solace in the daily crossword. As the crossword takes on a mind of its own, the seams of the couple’s reality begin to unravel, revealing that death is more than a five-letter word.

Vlamis wrote the script with Kyle Anderson,...

Exclusive: Seasick Studios is looking to garner laughs about time travel. The two-year old indie company formed by actors Kemma Filby (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Walker Barnes (9-1-1) has commenced production on Parallel, its first sitcom about a twenty-something politician who travels through time “to conjure her perfect life.”

Filby and Barnes are set as series regulars in the comedy, along with Isabella Ward (Spielberg’s West Side Story) Alli Roberti, Luke Millington-Drake (The Cuphead Show) and Erika-Rose. Tara Strong and Tristan Cunningham (All Rise) will play recurring roles.

Here’s the official logline: “Desperate to be in control, 24-year-old novice politician Marnie (newcomer Roberti) travels through time in an attempt to conjure her perfect life by tweaking decisions in her past. Stubbornly disregarding the laws of time travel, she foolishly manipulates her friends’ timelines and unzips the fabric of the universe, creating severe repercussions.